Canadians weigh in on CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV hearing through report released today: “The future of TV is the Internet”

Community-based OpenMedia.ca release a crowdsourced report based on input from Canadians about priorities for the future of digital services in Canada.

The report comes as the CRTC prepares to wrap up a year-long consultation process about how Canadians access TV content and digital services, which could have major implications for how Canadians use the Internet. This consultation could decide whether Canada starts to tackle its growing national digital deficit, or whether it falls even further behind its global counterparts.

“Canadians across the country are working together to build a better digital future, and I hope decision-makers are listening,” said OpenMedia.ca Campaigns Coordinator Josh Tabish. “The future of TV is the Internet, and everyday Canadians are sick of the control Big Telecom conglomerates have over our digital services – control which has resulted in a growing digital divide and a national digital deficit. The CRTC has thankfully welcomed citizen input in this process and I hope they will listen and take measures to decentralize the telecom and media content marketplace.”

Tabish continued: “Again and again Canadians are telling us they want to see a basic pick-and-pay model that makes sure everyone can access publicly-funded media like the CBC; no new taxes imposed on online-first services; and rules that ensure Big Telecom companies can’t exclude Canadians from watching content such as Hockey Night in Canada. Instead of propping up outdated TV broadcasting model, the CRTC should focus on liberating content and services from the grips of large telecom conglomerates.”

The report sets out three key recommendations that emerged from OpenMedia’s consultation with Canadians throughout the Let’s Talk TV process. In order to put the interests of Canadians first, the CRTC needs to reconsider the power that large vertically-integrated telecom conglomerates have over Canadian culture and content distribution by doing the following:

• Do not impose new financial costs for online digital services – especially given the advantages that Big Telecom incumbents have over other content producers and distributors.
• Improve access to Canadian content through pick and pay models that build on a “skinny basic” package that ensures access to publicly-supported content producers with public mandates, including APTN, CBC and B.C.’s Knowledge Network.
• Move us toward fair wholesale pricing arrangements that ensure that Canadian content can be affordable and distributed widely – not hoarded by vertically-integrated incumbents.

For more informaiton, the full report can be found at: https://OpenMedia.ca/ConnectedCanada [PDF]

About OpenMedia.ca

OpenMedia.ca is a network of people and organizations working to safeguard the possibilities of the open Internet. We work toward informed and participatory digital policy.

Through campaigns such as StopTheMeter.ca and StopSpying.ca, OpenMedia.ca has engaged over half-a-million Canadians, and has influenced public policy and federal law.

About the Connected Canada campaign

OpenMedia’s Connected Canada campaign was launched to back against the dominance of a few big telecom companies by organizing a series of citizen-led events across Canada on what the future of digital services should look like.

The move came against the backdrop of worrying attempts by giant telecom conglomerates to control the future of how Canadians communicate with each other. These citizen-led discussions will play a crucial role as part of a broader CRTC consultation on the future of TV, as growing numbers of Canadians cut the cord and make the switch from TV to Internet.

The campaign aims to ensure that decision makers put Canadians first when it comes to decisions about the future of digital services.

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Contact

David Christopher
Communications Manager, OpenMedia
1-778-232-1858
[email protected]

More Information

• Canadians are telling the CRTC to ditch the deadweight of Big Telecom giants - OpenMedia.ca
• Telecom Notice of Consultation 2013-551-1 - Source: CRTC
• OpenMedia.ca: Concerned Canadian reveals Bell’s anti-competitive practices
• Crossing the Line - Ben Klass explains why he’s taking Bell to the CRTC
• OpenMedia fought for and won Open Internet rules that should prevent Big Telecom discriminating against competing services. We even flew in some of the original architects of the Internet to the CRTC hearing.
• See the infographic showing how half-a-million Canadians spoke out against telecom price-gouging